Transcript Decision Support for Key Chronic Conditions: Falls and

How to Prepare for Your Oral
Presentation
David B. Reuben, MD
David Geffen School of Medicine
at UCLA
What We Will Cover
• Myths and Truths about effective speaking
• Preparation
– Before getting started
– Getting started
• Delivery
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How your message is read
Getting ready to speak
Tips
Getting out of trouble
Myths
• To be credible, all medical talks need to have a
scientific component.
• You need to be funny to be a good speaker.
• You need to be serious if speaking to students
or residents.
• If it needs to be said, it should be on the slide.
• “Um” is a four-letter word.
Truths
• Some speakers are naturally more gifted than
others.
• All speakers can improve.
• Most faculty rely too much on content and too
little on presentation style.
• Effective speakers have a wide range of
styles to select from.
Before Getting Started
• Who is your audience?
– Why are they there?
– What don’t they know?
• What is your message?
• What do you want to accomplish?
• What will it take to accomplish it?
Getting started
• Organize your talk
– Opening
– Body
– Conclusions
Opening
• What are the first words you say?
• Do you need to say something about
yourself?
• Do you need a hook?
– A joke, anecdote, story, statistic, concern
– Capture attention and connect to the
audience
• Provide a context and value.
• Tell them what you are going to cover.
Body
• Develops the message
– Identify take-home messages (no more than 4)
• Tells a story
– Well organized and connected
• Supported by evidence
Conclusion
• Summarizes key points
• Lead the participant to the future
– Action item
– Change in thinking
– Challenge
The Basics of Slide Use
• Budget 1 slide per minute of presentation
• For research presentation, typically
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Title (1 slide)
Research questions (1 slide)
Background (1-2 slides)
Methods (2-4 slides)
Results (2-5 slides)
Conclusions (1-2 slides)
Acknowledgement (0-1 slide)
Common Problems*
• Too many colors
• Slide too crowded
• Too many symbols on graphs
• Using text when graphics would be better
* slide preparation tips modified from Bruce Troen
Important rules
• Slide should be self evident
• Include only necessary information
• Avoid “megadata” slides
• No more than 2 graphics / slide
How Much on One Slide?
• One major point per slide
• Each line is a basic thought
• 7 lines by 7 words (maximum!)
• Don’t have visual tell everything
AGS pursues actions in 5 intended
impact areas to achieve its mission
Increased
funding
Increased
funding
1. Expanded understanding of geriatric
healthcare (creation of knowledge, and/or
effective distribution)
2. Increased number of healthcare
professionals who employ principles of
geriatric healthcare
Supportive
training
policies
Increased
funding
Supportive
training
policies
Increased
resources to
teach
geriatric care
Increased
knowledge of
best practice
care
Direct contribution to
ultimate goal
AGS Mission
Increased awareness of need for geriatric
expertise
Increased geriatric specialization
3. Increased number of health professionals
entering careers in geriatric practice,
administration, teaching and research
4.
Influence one
requirement has on
another
Changes in policies to increase funding for
the geriatric field (reimbursement,
research, teaching), align academic
requirements, and improve systems of
geriatric care through advocacy and
mobilization
Increased pressure from public
for reform
5. Increased public understanding of need for,
access to information on and/or demand
for high-quality geriatric health care
Increased
knowledge of
best practice
care
Increased
capacity for and
access to best
practice care
Every older
person
receives
highquality,
patientcentered
health care
Increased
knowledge of
required
reforms
Increased
knowledge of
best practice
care
Increased public
ability to seek and
adopt best practices
of care
14
Type Style Rules
• Simple type styles
• Limit to 3 styles per slide
• Retain styles throughout
• Limit uppercase use
Font Selection
• Easy to diagnose
• Easy to cure*
• Preventable
*Simple type is easier to read
• What is readable 48 pt.
• What is readable 44 pt.
• What is readable 36 pt.
• What is readable 32 pt.
• What is readable 28 pt.
• What is readable 24 pt.
•
What is readable 18 pt.
•
What is readable 12 pt.
Too Small
Should not have text smaller than 32 points
(even this breaks the rule of 7 lines per slide)
Color Considerations
• Use contrasting colors
– Dark backgrounds/lighter text
• Limit to 2 or 3 colors
• Avoid red letters on a blue background
• Avoid red/green combinations (many
people are red/green colorblind)
no red/green
combinations
Delivery
How Your Message is Read
• Verbal: your words (7-10%)
• Vocal: your voice (30%)
• Visual: your body language (60%)
Verbal Message
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Use spoken rather than written English
Use familiar words
Avoid jargon
Speak in simple, to-the-point sentences
Restate, rephrase if the audience doesn’t
get it.
Vocal Elements
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Pitch
Volume
Rate
Diction
Inflection
Pauses
Body Language
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How you dress
How you hold yourself (presence)
How you move (gestures, positioning)
How you connect to your audience
(eyes, distance)
• What your face says
Getting Ready to Speak
• Warm up
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Stretch
Yawn
Breathing exercises
Hum
Articulation exercises
Tongue twisters
• Getting mentally prepared
– First things first
Don’t panic
Douglas Adams, “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”
Tips to Reduce Tension
• Reassure yourself that you know more
about your topic than your audience
• Breathe: Let your breath guide your
speech
• Connect, converse, communicate
• Laugh and enjoy yourself
Other Tips
• Rehearse, particularly if it is a new talk
– In front of others
– In your mind (listen to the words you will say)
• Review slides, even if you have given the talk
a dozen times
• Keep the audience in mind at all times and
stay connected.
• Radiate enthusiasm
Getting Out of Trouble
• Recognize when you are losing your
audience
• Don’t be afraid to skip slides or drop the slide
show entirely
• Do something dramatic to re-engage them
• Tell a story
Speaking to Lay Audiences
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Speak at the level of the lay public
Focus on 1 or 2 take home messages
Fewer slides (1 slide for every 3-4 minutes)
Pictures rather than graphs
Watch the audience carefully
If audience is not comprehending, rephrase
Emphasize body language and enthusiasm
Key points
• Effective speaking is a learned behavior
• Be prepared
– Anticipate your audience
– Identify your take-home messages
• Slides should support not distract
• Pay more attention to style; be flamboyant
• Enjoy yourself